University of Padua
Università degli Studi di Padova
The world's fifth-oldest surviving university, where Galileo taught, with English-taught degrees under 3,000 euros.
- Students
- 76,000
- International
- 11%
- of students
- Tuition
- €2,790
- From · 2026-27
- Founded
- 1222
About Unipd
The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by students and teachers who left Bologna in search of academic freedom, which makes it the second-oldest university in Italy. Galileo Galilei held its chair of mathematics from 1592 to 1610, Andreas Vesalius taught anatomy there, and in 1678 Elena Cornaro Piscopia became the first woman to receive a doctorate at Padua. Its historic seat, Palazzo Bo, still houses the anatomical theatre of 1595, and the university founded its botanical garden in 1545.
Today Padua is one of Italy's largest universities, with about 76,000 students, 11% of them international. Teaching is organised into eight schools (Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Economics and Political Science, Law, Engineering, Medicine, Psychology, Sciences, and Human and Social Sciences and Cultural Heritage) and 32 departments, spread across more than 250 buildings in the city and satellite campuses such as Agripolis in Legnaro.
Most bachelor's degrees are taught in Italian, but a growing list is taught entirely in English, including Psychological Science, Information Engineering, Animal Care, and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making, alongside Medicine and Surgery. Fees are low by European standards and income-based for students who file an ISEE, and the Padua International Excellence Scholarship covers fees and pays 8,000 euros a year for top English-programme applicants. It suits students who want a serious academic university in a compact, walkable student city near Venice.
Universa universis patavina libertas
“Paduan freedom is universal for everyone” — university motto
Why students choose Unipd
Fees run from 0 to about 3,000 euros a year, with a no-tax area for families with an ISEE up to 30,000 euros.
English-taught bachelor's degrees include Psychological Science, Information Engineering and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making, with more programmes proposed for 2027/28.
The Padua International Excellence Scholarship pays 8,000 euros a year plus a fee exemption, and you are considered automatically when you apply to an English-taught degree.
AlmaLaurea data cited by the university put Padua graduates' employment rate above 84% one year after graduation.
Admissions
Academic year 2027/28 (entry autumn 2027)
Selectivity
Padua does not publish an overall admission rate. Many degrees are open admission with requirements; limited-access programmes (including the English-taught bachelor's degrees and Medicine) have a fixed number of places allocated through a ranking list after an entry test or evaluation.
Typical entry requirements
| Foreign secondary school diploma | At least 12 years of schooling. If your country requires a university entrance exam (e.g. Selectividad, Vestibular/ENEM, Gaokao), you must also show you passed it, or complete extra years of university study or an Italian foundation course. |
|---|---|
| Italian diploma (maturità) | Apply through the programme's call for applications, usually published in June, not through apply.unipd.it; limited-access programmes use a ranking based on the required test. |
| English language | IELTS 6 · TOEFL iBT 86 English-taught degrees require B2 level (CEFR). Padua's accepted list for B2: IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 86 for tests taken until 20 January 2026 (4.5 on the new scale from 21 January 2026), Cambridge B2 First 173. Certificates can be submitted after applying, but no later than 31 July 2027. |
Deadlines
- First call, international applicants (most programmes) Non-binding Next deadline · In 40 days15 November 2026
Opened 15 September 2026 on apply.unipd.it for most degree programmes for 2027/28.
The first 2027/28 call for international applicants runs from 15 September to 15 November 2026. Padua has previously opened later calls (for example a call for EU students in July 2026), and deadlines differ by programme, so check the programme page. Italian-qualification applicants use calls published around June 2027. Courses start at the end of September or early October; there is no second-semester entry.
How to apply
Applicants with a foreign qualification apply online at apply.unipd.it (up to two programmes per academic year), uploading the required documents and paying a 60 euro application fee; Medicine and Surgery has its own procedure. Non-EU applicants living abroad must also complete Universitaly pre-enrolment for the student visa after admission. Applicants with Italian qualifications follow each programme's call for applications.
What admissions looks for
- An eligible school-leaving qualification with at least 12 years of schooling, plus any national university entrance exam your country requires.
- A good result in the programme's entry test (CEnT-S or the programme's own test), since limited-access programmes rank applicants for a fixed number of places.
- Proof of English at B2 level for English-taught degrees.
- For the Padua International Excellence Scholarship, academic excellence and the quality of your previous studies.
Tips for applying to Unipd
- 1 Apply in the first call (by 15 November 2026): it is open for most programmes and you are automatically considered for the Excellence Scholarship.
- 2 You can apply to at most two programmes per academic year and cannot reapply to the same programme in a later call, so choose carefully.
- 3 Book the CEnT-S early: it runs in four macro-periods and you can sit it only once per macro-period.
- 4 Your English certificate can follow your application, but it must reach Padua by 31 July 2027.
Costs & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in EUR
Italian and EU students get income-based fee reductions through the ISEE, regional scholarships and rent support. For English-taught degrees, the Padua International Excellence Scholarship pays 8,000 euros gross a year plus a fee exemption, and Padua also offers 100 full fee waivers and departmental scholarships.
- 8,000 euros gross a year plus fee exemption
- Padua International Excellence Scholarship
- 100
- Full fee waivers for English-taught degrees
- 60 euros
- Application fee (apply.unipd.it)
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters; courses start at the end of September or early October
Psychological Science (BSc, English-taught)
A three-year limited-access degree from the School of Psychology with its own online entry test in English; listed tuition 2,950 euros a year.
Medicine and Surgery (English-taught, single-cycle)
A six-year English-taught medical degree in the discipline Padua is famous for since Vesalius, with its own admission procedure.
Information Engineering (BSc, English-taught)
An English-taught engineering degree admitted via the CEnT-S test.
Economics, Governance and Decision-Making (BSc, English-taught)
English-taught economics from the School of Economics and Political Science, admitted via CEnT-S.
Animal Care (BSc, English-taught)
Taught at the Agripolis campus in Legnaro, home of the School of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine.
Galilean School of Higher Education
Padua's school of excellence, which adds in-house seminars and courses to a regular degree for selected students.
Research
- Palazzo Bo houses the anatomical theatre of 1595, the oldest surviving permanent anatomical theatre in Europe.
- The Botanical Garden of Padua was established by the university in 1545, one of the oldest academic gardens in the world.
- Galileo held Padua's chair of mathematics from 1592 to 1610, and Vesalius published De Humani Corporis Fabrica in 1543 while holding its chair of surgery and anatomy.
- The university runs more than 42,500 square metres of laboratories.
Schools & faculties
- School of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine
- School of Economics and Political Science
- School of Law
- School of Engineering
- School of Medicine and Surgery
- School of Psychology
- School of Science
- School of Human and Social Sciences and Cultural Heritage
Citing AlmaLaurea data, Padua reports an employment rate above 84% one year after graduation and 94.9% five years after a master's degree, with almost 6 in 10 of those employed on permanent contracts.
Student life
Student life in Padua is woven into the city: lectures, libraries and study rooms are spread through the historic centre rather than a closed campus. Students from outside the region can apply for rooms in 15 residences run by ESU, the regional student-services agency, or rent privately. ESU runs two restaurants and has 14 affiliated canteens, where a full meal costs 2 to 8 euros depending on income and merit. The university has its own sports teams and supports student athletes through a dual-career programme.
- About 76,000 students, 11% of them international.
- 30 libraries and 45 study rooms across the city.
- 15 ESU residences in Padua, with rooms allocated by a competition based on merit and family income.
- Subsidised meals from 2 to 8 euros at ESU restaurants and affiliated canteens.
Housing. ESU residence places are allocated through an annual competition published at the start of summer (for 2026/27, first-year applications closed on 25 August 2026); many students rent privately.
Location
Padua is a mid-sized historic city in the Veneto, near Venice, with a large student population that shapes its squares and porticoed streets. University buildings are scattered through the centre, with satellite sites such as Agripolis in Legnaro, and students get around by bike, bus, tram and train. Venice and Verona are easy day trips by train.
Nearest airport: Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
Notable alumni
- NC Nicolaus CopernicusAstronomer who placed the Sun at the centre of the Solar System; studied at Padua
- WH William HarveyPhysician who described the circulation of the blood
- EC Elena Cornaro PiscopiaFirst woman to be awarded a doctorate, at Padua in 1678
- GC Giacomo CasanovaWriter and adventurer
- UF Ugo FoscoloPoet and writer
- IK Ioannis KapodistriasFirst Governor of Greece
- FF Federico FagginPhysicist and engineer who designed the first commercial microprocessor
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to study at the University of Padua?
For EU and Italy-resident students, fees run from 0 to about 3,000 euros a year depending on ISEE, with a no-tax area up to 30,000 euros. Non-EU students living abroad pay a fixed fee of 2,790 or 2,990 euros a year (less for students from low-HDI countries).
When is the Padua application deadline for 2027/28?
For international applicants, the first call on apply.unipd.it opened on 15 September 2026 and closes on 15 November 2026 for most degree programmes.
Does the University of Padua teach bachelor's degrees in English?
Yes. English-taught bachelor's degrees include Animal Care, Psychological Science, Techniques and Methods in Psychological Science, Information Engineering, Biology of Human and Environmental Health, Earth and Climate Dynamics, and Economics, Governance and Decision-Making, plus Medicine and Surgery.
What English level do I need for Padua?
B2 (CEFR) for English-taught degrees, for example IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 86 (for tests taken until 20 January 2026). The certificate can be submitted after applying, up to 31 July 2027.
Does Padua offer scholarships to international students?
Yes. The Padua International Excellence Scholarship pays 8,000 euros gross a year plus a fee exemption for English-taught degrees, and there are 100 full fee waivers and departmental scholarships. You are considered for the Excellence Scholarship automatically when you apply.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
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